Cooling unit



March 31, 1931. w. E. DOUGHTY COOLING UNIT Filed June 16, 1930 1147/16? 00223"; mxbmm ATTO RN EYS Patented Mar. 31 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM E. DOUGHTY, 013 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES VERNOR COM- rm, or DETROIT, mcnmnn,

A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN COOLING UNIT Application filed June 16,

This invention relates to a cooling unit and has particular reference to a cooling unit for use in connection with a beverage dispensing apparatus.

"One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a cooling unit adapted to be surrounded by a cooling medium and to provide means for agitating the cooling medium adjacent the cooling unit and for preventin the formation of a relatively warm area '0' cooling medium adjacent the cooling unit.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cooling unit which will be simple in construction and capable of economical production on a commercial scale.

Other objects and advantages of this invention, together with the numerous novel details of construction thereof, will become more apparent as the following description proceeds, particularly when reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a cooling unit constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention, the cooling unit being illustrated in position within a cooling tank;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the I cooling unit shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational view of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the .finmembers forming a part of the construction shown in Figure 1. v

In dispensing carbonated beverages, such, for example, as ginger ale, it is, customary to first store the beverage under high pressure in containers. The beverage is conducted from these containers to a settling tank where a portion of the gasis liberated so that when the beverage is dispensed it will not be in the form of foam. The settling tank is usually arranged within a cool ing tank and it is the general practice to also locate in this cooling tank a cooling coil through which the beverage is circulated to 1980. Serial No. 461,591.

thoroughly cool the same before it is dispensed.

The cooling tank is generally filled with a cooling medium such as a mixture'of ice and water, and it has been found in actual practice that an insulating film of relatively warm water frequently surrounds the sections of the cooling coil, thus preventing an eflicient cooling of the beverage within the coil. The present invention contemplates in particular the provision of means for effecting an agitation of the cooling medium adjacent the cooling coil and for forcing the relatively Warm cooling medium away from the cooling coil to prevent theformation of this insulating film and to assure a thorough and efficient cooling of the beverage circulated through the coil.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout all views, the numeral 10 designates a cooling tank which may be of any desired construction and which is preferably filled with a cooling medium such as ice and water, as indicated by the reference character 11. Arranged within the cooling tank and submerged in the cooling medium, is a cooling coil formed of a plurality of straight tube sections 12 connected by the curved tube sections 13. As illustrated, the tubing from which the coil is formed is preferably fiattened in cross section to increasethe efiiciency of the same and, if desired, the complete coil may be formed of a single length of tubing bent in the manner illustrated.

The coil is provided with an inlet 14: which communicates with a supply pipe 15 through a suitable strainer 16 and the coil is further provided with an outlet connection 17 providing for the connection of the coil either to a settling tank or to a beverage dispensing nozzle. The complete cooling coil is preferably supported from the floor of the tank 10 by standards 18 which may be of any desired construction, the cooling coil extending in a relatively flat plane above these standards.

Carried by the standards 18 is a pipe or conduit 25 provided with the nozzles 26 which are directed upwardly to discharge in a plane parallel to and slightly to one side of the plane of the cooling coil. This pipe 25 may be supplied with a fluid under pressure from any desired source and may in accordance with the usual practice be connected to the settling tank (not shown) to receive the gas separated from the beverage within the settling tank. Thus, this gas is discharged into the tank 10 and effects an agitation of the cooling medium within this tank.

For deflecting the agitating fluid discharged from the pipe 25 there are provided fins designated generally by the reference character 30. Each fin comprises a strip of metal bent to form the parallel end portions 31 and the intermediate portion 32 which extends at right angles to the end portions. The end portions 31 are fixed as by soldering or the like, as indicated by the reference character 33, to adjacent straight sections 12 of the cooling coil in such a manner that the portion 82 of each fin member is arranged in the space between adjacent straight sec tions of the coil. To facilitate securing of the fin members to the sections of the tubing, the ends 31 of the fin members are re cessed as indicated by the reference character 34: to partially embrace the sections 12 of the coil.

The intermediate portions 32 of the fin members are inclined to the plane of the cooling coil and are so disposed as to project into the path of the fluid discharged from the conduit or pipe 25. Thus, the agitating fluid is deflected into contact with the sections 12 of the cooling coil with the result that the cooling medium immediately surrounding these sections of the coolin coil is thoroughly agitated whenever the agitating fluid is dis charged from the conduit 25. Further, the agitating fluid is directed through the cool ing coil and away from the opposite side thereof so that the relatively warm cooling medium adjacent the cooling coil is also forced away from the cooling coil. Thus, all danger of the formation of an insulating film of the cooling medium adjacent the sections of the cooling coil is eliminated and the full cooling effect of the cooling medium on the beverage within the cooling coil is obtained.

From the above it is believed that the structure and operation of the invention will be clearly apparent. The cooling coil or conduit constitutes a container within the cooling tank for receiving the fluid or beverage to be cooled. A fluid, such as the gas liberated from the beverage in the settling tank, is supplied to the conduit or pipe 25 either constantly or intermittently and this fluid is discharged from the nozzles 26 upwardly adjacent one side of the cooling coil. The fins or deflector plates serve to deflect the agitating fluid discharged from the pipe 25, causing the same to pass through the cooling coil and into intimate contact with the sections thereof so that all of the cooling medium adjacent the sections of the cooling coil is thoroughly agitated. It will be noted that the fins or deflector plates serve an additional purpose in that they are arranged in heat conducting relation to the cooling coil and thus serve to increase the heat radiating surface of this coil.

While the invention has been described with considerable detail it is to be clearly understood that the description is for the purpose of illustration only and is not definitive of the limits of the inventive idea. The right is reserved to make such changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will fall within the purview of the attached claims.

hat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a cooling apparatus, a tank for a cooling medium, a conduit within the tank for receiving the fluid to be cooled, means for discharging an agitating fluid into the tank, and means for deflecting the agitating fluid to cause the same to agitate the cooling medium adjacent the said conduit.

2. In a cooling apparatus, a tank for a cooling medium, a container within the tank for receiving the fluid to be cooled, means for discharging an agitating fluid into the tank to agitate the cooling medium therein, and means for directing the agitating fluid into proximity to the said container.

3. In a cooling apparatus, a tank for a cooling medium, a conduit within the tank for receiving the fluid to be cooled, means for discharging an agitating fluid into the tank, and means carried by the conduit for deflecting the agitating fluid into proximity to the cnnduit.

4. In a cooling apparatus, a tank for a cooling medium, a coil within the tank for receiving the fluid to be cooled, means for discharging an agitating fluid into the tank, and means carried by the coil for deflecting the agitating fluid into proximity to the coil.

5. A cooling apparatus including in combination, a cooling coil, a conduit for discharging a fluid adjacent said coil, and defleeting fins carried by said coil and arranged in the path of the fluid discharged from said conduit.

6. In a cooling apparatus, a tank for a cooling medium, a coil within said tank for receiving the fluid to be cooled, a conduit within said tank for discharging an agitating fluid, and members carried by said coil for directing the fluid discharged from said conduit adjacent said coil.

7. In a cooling apparatus, a tank for a cooling medium, a coil within said tank for receiving the fluid to be cooled, and means for agitating the cooling medium around said coil, said means including means for discharging an agitating fluid into said tank, and fins arranged in the path of discharge of the agitating fluid to direct the same adjacent said coil.

8. In a cooling apparatus, a tank for a cooling medium, a conduit in said tank for receiving the fluid to be cooled, a pipe arranged to one side of said conduit for discharging an agitating fluid adjacent the conduit, and means carried by the conduit for deflecting the agitating fluid into contact with the conduit.

9. In a cooling apparatus, a tank for a cooling medium, a coil in said tank for receiving the fluid to be cooled, an agitating fluid discharge conduit arranged to one side of and below said coil, and fins carried by the coil for deflecting the agitating fluid discharged from said conduit into proximity to said coil.

10. In a cooling apparatus, a coil formed of straight tube sections connected by curved tube sections, a conduit for discharging a fluid adjacent said coil, and fin members fixed to the straight sections of said coil for directing the fluid discharged from said conduit through said coil.

11. In a cooling apparatus, a coil formed of straight tube sections connected by curved tube sections, a conduit for discharging a fluid adjacent said coil, and fin members having end portions fixed to adjacent straight sections of said coil and intermediate portions arranged between adjacent straight sections of the coil and inclined to the plane of the coil for deflecting the fluid discharged from the conduit through said coil.

12. In a cooling apparatus, a coil for receiving the fluid to be cooled, a conduit for discharging an agitating fluid adjacent the said coil, and fine members having portions arranged between adjacent sections of said coil and inclined to the plane thereof for directing the agitating fluid through said coil.

13. In a cooling apparatus, a tank for a cooling medium, a coil within said tank for receiving the fluid to be cooled, a pipe for discharging an agitating fluid adjacent said coil, and fin members in heat conducting relation to said coil arranged to direct the agitating fluid through said coil.

14. In a cooling apparatus, a tank for a cooling medium, a coil within said tank for receiving the fluid to be cooled, a pipe for discharging an agitating fluid adjacent said coil, and fin members fixed to said coil in heat conducting relation to the same, said fin members having portions arranged between sections of said coil and inclined to the plane thereof for directing the agitating fluid through said coil.

15. In a cooling apparatus, a tank for a cooling medium, a coil in said tank for receiving the fluid to be cooled, a conduit adjacent one side of said coil for discharging an agitating fluid adjacent said coil, and 

